GW Robichaux

It was an unusual weather for late December in Acadia Parish, the late afternoon sun was shining and the temperature was a balmy seventy five degrees instead of rain and temperatures in the fifties. GW wasn't complaining though, the heat and humidity of his native Louisiana was a welcome change from the drier air of Nevada. He'd picked up a rental car at the Lafayette airport and thirty minutes later had passed through the city and out into the flat countryside of rice and sugarcane fields, with the swamplands beginning just a few miles further south. The family home was roughly twenty miles away from Lafayette as the crow flew, outside the tiny hamlet of Morse, Louisiana, a one stoplight town if ever there was one.

Chez Robichaux was built in the traditional style, raised from the ground with a broad wraparound porch and gentle slope to the metal roof, but was thoroughly modern in its construction. GW could remember helping build the house as a young teenager along with his brother Luc and several of their cousins. The boys had been conscripted as free labor by his father and uncles, who were doing as much of the work as they could themselves to save on costs. It had paid off, allowing his father to build a larger and nicer house than he otherwise would have been able to afford at the time.

The last time GW'd seen this house was just after Mardi Gras but it seemed as if he'd been gone forever, so much had changed in his life.

"Georgie! Georgie!" Ten year old Jean-Bertrand Robichaux, Jr., the youngest of GW's five siblings came tearing down the porch steps, the family dog in hot pursuit as GW exited the rental car. The younger Robichaux had a severe case of hero worship when it came to GW, and had been waiting impatiently for him to arrive judging from the way he'd staked out a spot on the porch steps.

"Hey Peeshwank, ca viens?" GW greeted his youngest brother, picking the boy up and twirling him around as they both laughed, the dog baying and jumping next to them. He'd missed his family being in Las Vegas so long. JR looked as if he'd grown half a foot since the last time GW had seen him. It was a far cry from the tiny babe he'd first seen coming home on leave ten years earlier, if the boy kept growing at this rate he'd be taller than GW by the time he was in his senior year.

"Bein," the boy replied as their mother appeared on the porch, wiping her hands on a dishtowel. Louise Marie Robichaux was a distinguished looking woman, tall and slender with streaks of grey starting to creep into her brown hair.

"Mama," GW hauled his giggling brother over one shoulder and carried the squirming youngster upside down as he walked up the porch steps to greet his mother with a kiss on the cheek. "It's good to see you."

"GW," his mother replied with a mixture of affection and exasperation as she regarded her youngest and eldest sons together. "Set your brother down."

"Yes ma'am," GW grinned and let JR climb down from his shoulder "Dad still at work?" He'd half expected his father to be home by now, the week before Christmas was usually a slow one at the office.

"Non," Louise told him, "He and TJ, dey went to de store in Crowley, dey should be back soon nuff. Janette is over at Suz's." She looked at her eldest appraisingly, searching for something. "You an your gaienne, you doin' alright George?"

The grin changed to a softer smile and GW nodded firmly "Yeah Mama, we're doin' jus' fine. She'll be comin' down durin' Mardi Gras, you bet, can't wait to meet everyone." He missed Meredith already, and they'd only been apart a few hours.

"Good," Louise patted his arm affectionately, and looked to his younger brouther "JR, you go get your brother's tings an' put em in de spare room." Her youngest nodded and moved to do as he was told, and Louise looked back at her eldest son. "You're too skinny, come on into de kitchen an I'll fix you somethin'."

"Yes ma'am," GW knew better than to argue, and he intended to get as much home cooking as he could over the next few days.

It was good to be home.

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Peeshwank - Runt
Ca viens? - How's it coming?
Bein- Well
Non- No
Gaienne - Girlfriend